Tobacco-curing apparatus



Sept. 30 1924. 1,509,902

J. C. REYNOLDS woiaAco CURING APPARATUS Filed May '2 1923 s Sheets-Sheet1 32 Qnmntocf5 26 26 Josh an (I. f? ,5 A? Reynolds 7 (Ittomeq;

Sept. 30, 1924. 1,509,902

J. c. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CURING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Shut 2 mailanllllll Igwuentoz dos/2 HQ Gags 22W Sept. 3051924. 1,509,902,

J. C. REYNOLDS TOBACCO (HIRING APPARATUS Filed May 2 1923 3 Sheets-Sheeps,

I I I my 61mm Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,509,902 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA C. REYNOLDS, OF OWENSBOBO, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOCLARENCE D. BROWN, OF OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

TOBACCO-CURING APPARATUS.

Application filed Kay 2, 1923. Serial No. 636,183.

To all wiwm it may comm:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA C. REYNoLos, a citizen of the United States,residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco- CuringApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for curing tobacco and has specialreference to the general type of apparatus disclosed in Letters Patent,No. 1,413,783, granted to me April 25, 1922. The present invention hasfor its object to simplify the construction and reduce the cost, toprovide for a more intense heat, and to effect a more generaldistribution of the heat as well as to more thoroughly protect thetobacco from possible burning in the event any leaves should fall fromthe drying racks. The invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my presentimprovements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation, partl broken away and partly insection, of the heat-generatingmechamsm Fig. 3 is a plan view of thesame with the to removed;

ig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section of the burner and the ignition pan.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a curing barn inwhich the tobacco, indicated at 2, is hung in the usual manner. Incarrying out my invention, I erect within the barn a supplemental shedor awning 3 consisting of a suitable supporting frame 4 having rooftrusses 5 extending between its sides and ends and covered with a plate6 of metal having perforations 7 extending therethrough throughout itsarea. The supporting frame is disposed in spaced rela tion to the wallsof the barn so as to provide an aisle or passageway, indicated at 8,around the frame and extends from end to end and from side to side ofthe barn except for the area included in the said passageway. J

A truck, consisting of runners 9 and suitable supporting and bracingmembers, is disposed under the awning or hood 3, and

this truck carries a drum 10 and burners 11 disposed within the drum.The runners have both ends upturned, as indicated at 12, so that thetruck may be readily moved in any direction within the barn and underthe awning and the two runners are connected by transverse braces 13which are bolted to the longitudinal rib 14 upon the upper sides of therunners and are slightly arched, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, wherebythey may readily clear objects upon the floor of the barn. Props 15 aresecured at their lower ends to the longitudinal ribs 14 of the runnersand extend upwardly in divergent relation therefrom, the upper ends ofthe props being bolted to the inner side of the drum 10 adjacent thelower edge thereof so that the drum will be firmly supported, as will bereadily understood. The bottom of the drum is open throughout its areaand the drum is preferably constructed of two similar semi-ellipticalplates having their ends overlapping, as shown at 16, and

secured together by bolts 17 so that they adapted to rest upon the upperedge of the drum and its central portion is raised so that the hood hasa frusto-conical form. Brackets 20 are secured to the under side of thehood and have depending portions which are adapted to fit closely withinthe upper end of the drum and thereby maintain the hood in properrelation upon the drum and. extending over the same. A pan 21 is placedupon the hood and consists, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, of a dishedbottom '22, adapted to fit directly upon the inclined sides of the hoodand be thereby held in proper position thereon, and a side rim or wall23 of any desired height so that water placed within the pan will beheld in proper restraint.

A tank or reservoir 24 is provided for the storage of a hydro-carbonfuel and is supported in an elevated position at any convenient pointwithin the barn. A hose or flexible tube 25 extends from this reservoirto a pipe 26 upon the truck and branch pipes 27 carry the fuel from thesaid pipe 26 to the several burners 11. The pipe 26 is disposedlongitudinally of the truck and is held in position thereon by clamps 28titted over the pipe and bolted upon the peaks of the transverse archedbraces 13, the said pipe 26 being equipped with a cut-off valve 29 andthe hose being connected with the end of the pipe through a. nipple 30and hose clamps 31 in a well-known manner.v The fuel pipe 26 extendsfrom one end of the truck to the center of the same and is connectedwith the several branch pipes 27 through a four-way coupling 32, asshown and as will be readily understood. Each branch 27 rises verticallyii to a point within the drum and is equipiped with a regulating valve33 so that the ow of fuel to the burners may be cont-rolled. Anoperating rod or rock shaft 34 is attached in any preferred manner tothe handle member 35 of each valve 33 and extends to the side of thedrum below the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the outer portion ofthe controlling rod being supported by a hanger 36 secured to anddepending from the drum and the outer extremity of the rod being bent orotherwise treated to provide a hanbe dle 37.

Within the drum, the upper end portion of the burner-supplying pipe 27is bent laterally, as shown at 38, and is then carried upwardly, asshown at 39, a suitable distance, the upper end of the tion being bentlaterally, as shown at 40, so that it is brought back into substantiallythe vertical plane; of the main portion of the burner-supp] 'ing pipeand merges into a coil 41 whic 1 carries the burner 11 at its lower end.The said burner 11 consists of an open bottom casting or head having itstop provided with a central depressed portion 42 from which a nipple 43rises to be engaged in and secured to the extremity of the coil 41.Between the depressed central portion 42 and the bottom of the burner,the top plate thereof is inclined downwardly and outwardly, as shown at44, and through this downwardly and outwardly inclined portion jets orperforations 45 are formed. plug or cap 46 is fitted in the bottom orlower end of the burner, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, so as to form aclosure therefor. An ignition pan 47 is provided adjacent to and loweach burner 11, and t-his ignition pan is provided on its under sidewith a web or rib 48 constructed with a clamp member 49 adapted to fitover the lateral portion 38 of the burner-supplying pipe. A mating clampplate 50 is fitted against the under side of the said pipe and the endsof the twoclamp plates are bolted together, as shown in Fig. 5, so thatthe ignition pan will be firmly secured upon the pipe and will bemaintained in proper operative relation to the burner. he reservoir ortank 24 may be of any deis preferably supported in an elevated saidvertical porsired capacity, form or construction and it )OSI- tion, asshown and as previously stated, in order that the fuel may be fed to thepipe 26 by gravity, thereby avoiding complicated and expensiveconstructions. A force feed apparatus may, however, b provided upon thetank, if desired, in order that the fuel may be fed to the burners undergreater pressure. When the cut-off valve 29 is opened, the fuel willobviously flow into and through the pipe 26 and rise through the severalbranch or burner feeding pipes 27 so as to circulate through the severalcoils 41 and ow into the burners. Initially, a small quantity of thefuel will be permitted to overflow through the 'ets 45 into therespective ignition pans, a ter which the flow is cut-off by propermanipulation of the regulating valves 33. The portion of the fuel withinthe ignition pans is then ignited and the ensuing flame will playdirectly upon and about the burner and the coil supporting the same sothat the burner and the coil will be quickly raimd in temperature andany fuel subsequently admitted thereto will vaporized and issue from thejets 45 in small gas-like streams. These gas-like streams, of course,will ignite immediately upon meeting the air surroundin the burners andthe flame thus produced will play directly upon the coils so that theheated condition of the same will be maintained and all the fuel thenflowing to the burners will be quickly and thoroughly vaporized andproper combustion maintained. After the burners begin to work properly,the flow of oil is regulated by the manipulation of the valves 33 in anobvious manner and the operator need then pay no further attention tothe burners as long as the supply of fuel lasts. The heat generated bythe burners will, of course, play upon the sides and hood of the drumand the water within the pan upon the hood will be evaporated so thatmoisture will be supplied to the heated air and humid heat will pass tothe tobacco. Of course, after the burners have been operating for ashort while, some heat will escaoe under the lower edge of the drum andWlll pam around the sides of the same eventually escaping through theperforations 7 in the awning or auxiliary shed 3 and thence passing upto and around the tobacco leaves suspended in the barn. It will be notedthat the bracing arch 13 at one end of the truck is not required to aidin supporting the fuelsupplying pipe. This arch may be engaged by anyconvenient pulling tool so that the truck may be quickly and easilyshifted to any point under the awning or supplemental shed as thecondition of the tobacco or other circumstances may suggest, and theflexible tube or hose 25 should be long enough to permit the truck to bemoved to any point dosired under the said shed or awning. My improveddevice is very simple in its construction and compact in the arrangementof its parts. The flames at the burners are enclosed so that they cannotreach the tobacco and any leaves which may happen to fall from thehangers or drying racks will be caught by the shed or awning 3 and willbe prevented thereby from passing to the burners or to the hood and drumsurrounding them. It will also be noted that the heat cannot risedirectly from the burners to the tobacco leaves but is distributed bythe perforations in the awning or auxiliary shed so that it is veryevenly and more thoroughly distributed than has heretofore beenpossible. By humidifying the heated air, I prevent the tobacco upon thelower hangers or racks drying too rapidly and also avoid the brittlenessin the product which frequently follows the curing as now most generallypracticed. Bolts or screws are used throughout the apparatus so that theparts may be quilcslrelg assembled .When the apparatus is to be and thismeans of connecting the parts permits the manufacturer to ship the entirapparatus in knock-down form within a very small compass. The ignitionans are supported in a very firm and simp e manner immediately below theburners and the quantity of fuel passing to the burners may becontrolled without requiring the operator to pass under the drum.Moreover, it is possible to closely observe the initial combustioninasmuch as the cover is not rm-anently secured to the drum but simprests thereon and it may obviously be easily lifted from the drum andplaced in position after the burners are seen to be working properly.

rum it is held against displacement b the shape of the drum and theprovision o the brackets 20 which are secured to the hood and engage theinner sides of the drum.

While my apparatus is intended more particularly for curing tobacco, itmay be ad vantageously employed in preparing plant beds for tobacco andvegetables. By moving the apparatus over the ground which is to be usedas a bed, the vegetation therein will be destroyed by the heat so thatthe entire germinating strength of the ground will act upon the seedwhich is subsequently planted.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is; I

1. Means for curing tobaccofoomprising an awning, means for supportingsaid awn-- ing within a tobacco-curing barn below tobacco hung in thebarn, the said awning being provided with perforations throughout itsarea, and a heat-creating medium disposed below and freely movable underthe awning. Y

2. In tobacco-curing apparatus, a truck, a drum mounted upon the truckand having an open lower end, a hood covering the upper end of the drum,a pan carried upon said hood, and heat generators carried by the truckbelow th hood.

3. In tobacco-curing apparatus, a truck, a

drum supported by and above the truck, heat generators disposed withinthe drum, a hood covering the drum, and a water pan resting on andsupported by the hood.

4. Means for curing tobacco comprising an awning, means for supportingsaid awning within a tobacco-curing barn below tobacco hung in the barn,and a heat-creating medium disposed below and freely movable under theawning.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSHUA C. REYNOLDS. [LS-1

